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you know, in the old days in asia, actually it still is, that when a person comes to your school and said "please teach me your stuffs", it's a subtle way of challenging. it's one of those passive-aggressive thing. we asian are very polite about stuffs. one minute, very polite, and the next minute, your hot dog disappeared along with slaw, onion, ketchup and other stuffs.

Yeah, humble isn't a word I associate with Tohei either. Graham's post just made me think about the interesting mix of pride, humility, and political calculation that went into naming his new branch of the art. Maybe Graham needs more pride and more humility.

David, I want to know how you turn down your Sensei when he tells you it's time to test. Also, why.

There is a teacher who is at this moment a 5th Dan, (maybe 6th by now) who runs his own organization in spain. A friend and student of his has a dojo here in central london and has invited me down to meet and train when actually.
Now using a bit of Maths and logic I will give you the following data.
Said teacher was around in Henrys day and was taught by various teachers of whom Henry will no doubt know many.
Said teacher names his teachers from those days and thanks them all. From a British perspective it's probably quite an illustrious small list. He names them as Gregory Ford, Haydn Foster, Ken Williams, Kanatska San, Koichi Tohei, Wasil Kolesnikov, Ron James and Mike Muspratt.
Not as fellow practitioners but as Teachers.
No doubt some of these charachters were ones who Mike told us about but we had no significance or need or desire to remember such things as they were not our teacher.
Now this fellow was more to do with the welsh aikido set up I assume which would make sense and hence the summer school in wales with Tohei where he and Mike attended.
His name is Sensei Jones and he runs the Sho Shin Kan Dojo based in spain.
I have talked to him personally and he says Mike was a great teacher.

In the page titled: "Aikido Senseis who have contributed to the training of Sensei Jones. Marbella Dojo, Spain." (here: http://marbella.to/aikido/sensei.htm) Mr. Gareth N. Jones has only this to say about Mike Muspratt:

Quote:

Watford Dojo.
Your converted garage was a great place to practice and sleep. I've never drunk tequila since. Party on!!

I am quite surprised that Jun has not closed this thread down. This thread, like almost all started by the original poster, has devolved to it's current level of asking the poster to simply establish some verifiable credentials to back up claims, statements, understandings, etc., that run counter to established facts, positions taken by people who have established credentials and verifiable skills, best-thought-out positions derived from competent research in those areas, etc..

In the mental health field, we have this "understanding" of how people tend to project their own inner lives onto the world around them, which is then reflected back to them. I think that if we can all step back and look at this consistent pattern with the original poster, we should all consider replicating the requests posted throughout zoos in the world "Don't feed the animals."

Yeah, humble isn't a word I associate with Tohei either. Graham's post just made me think about the interesting mix of pride, humility, and political calculation that went into naming his new branch of the art. Maybe Graham needs more pride and more humility.

David, I want to know how you turn down your Sensei when he tells you it's time to test. Also, why.

Strange story, Hugh.

I'll try to PM you about that later today.

Thanks.

David

"That which has no substance can enter where there is no room."
Lao Tzu

you know, in the old days in asia, actually it still is, that when a person comes to your school and said "please teach me your stuffs", it's a subtle way of challenging. it's one of those passive-aggressive thing. we asian are very polite about stuffs. one minute, very polite, and the next minute, your hot dog disappeared along with slaw, onion, ketchup and other stuffs.

Phi
Talking about slaw...and my question to you about Shaka Khan or the other one......I don't think folks realize how close we came to having Mongolian BBQ as the general drive thru takeout rather than McDonald's.....

I'm with Marc on this one. reading through the post. If you guys have concluded that Graham is not inline with you, what you do, nor do you have anything in common or value together...then why do you continue the discussion?

It is fun watching the train wreck develop. and yes, like Marc, I wonder why the thread is still open.

I am quite surprised that Jun has not closed this thread down. This thread, like almost all started by the original poster, has devolved to it's current level of asking the poster to simply establish some verifiable credentials to back up claims, statements, understandings, etc., that run counter to established facts, positions taken by people who have established credentials and verifiable skills, best-thought-out positions derived from competent research in those areas, etc..

If it makes sense to close the thread down now, what would be the purpose of allowing it in the first place?

Phi
Talking about slaw...and my question to you about Shaka Khan or the other one......I don't think folks realize how close we came to having Mongolian BBQ as the general drive thru takeout rather than McDonald's.....

Gary

did i not mention somewhere that the main reason the horde went on the BBQ drive across the plain was to get away from the women folks at home?

If it makes sense to close the thread down now, what would be the purpose of allowing it in the first place?

well I think at first it has/had some merit as it allowed people to discuss the spiritual aspects and their place in aikido. However, the conversation has gone from that to "we don't respect you cause you are smoking crack and have no qualifications". I think once we enter that realm or the realm of bullshido (which I like) that attempts to expose or discredit someone...well then we probably need to make that conclusion ourselves and simply walk away from the conversation.

Really, after you reach that conclusion in your own mind...what is the point?

I am on a Ranger Association website and frankly I am getting tired since all the old Rangers want to talk about is guys that are posers and "stolen valor" and why women shouldn't be allowed in Ranger School.

I am good with that to a certain extent, but once that comes your sole focus in life...I begin to question sanity.

I am all about talking about Valor, Budo, and excellence and doing good. you know, the positive things. Some negative is okay too.

But after a while, you gotta move on I think. Cut your losses and move on.

I mean really no one is going to steal my valor or dilute MY aikido, or affect me really in any way by doing whatever they do. I think the stupidity of their actions and ignorance eventually gets displayed and demonstrated over time.

Anyway, I think that we really need to reconsider our own perspectives and attachments if this is all we can focus on.

you know, in the old days in asia, actually it still is, that when a person comes to your school and said "please teach me your stuffs", it's a subtle way of challenging. it's one of those passive-aggressive thing. we asian are very polite about stuffs. one minute, very polite, and the next minute, your hot dog disappeared along with slaw, onion, ketchup and other stuffs.

Very true. Many have asked in the past and been very polite. Usually from the view of' I'll show him that spiritual stuffs is nonsense' ha, ha.

Personally I don't believe anyone should ask for a thread to be closed because they don't like it, or the poster. If I have no interest in a thread, I simply ignore it.

I think the message from Mark Murry number 330 said much of what I was thinking.

Although Graham has said something to the effect he is doing his own thing. I also had concerns that Graham may claim that what he is doing in the name of Aikido originated from the `Hut Dojo` and Noro Sensei. As I posted earlier, Mr Muspratt may have attended a course with Noro Sensei and may have visited the Hut Dojo on a couple of occasions does not qualify him as a student of either.
In my earlier post I should have added that Haydn Foster Sensei only made two or three journeys to Watford on his pop pop moped which he described as a `killer`. I don't remember his saying the dojo was a garage :-)
I also think it is unfair to give Mr Muspratt grief when it is Graham who is making the claims in his name.

As I have told you before some of your writing interested me from way back. Honestly I didn't see it in your movements, but hands on is more definitive and clear. I would like to see how you interpreted the spiritual aspects into your aikido-particularly where it involves IP or not. I have some of my own thoughts on it- and can demonstrate it clearly- that I rarely discuss on the net though.
Secondly, from much experience... I have seen people form friendships or at least establish clarity, once they meet. It tends to get rid of the wierd interactions you see on the net. Personal meet ups are the best way to get to know people.
Dan

Personally I don't believe anyone should ask for a thread to be closed because they don't like it, or the poster. If I have no interest in a thread, I simply ignore it.

I think the message from Mark Murry number 330 said much of what I was thinking.

Although Graham has said something to the effect he is doing his own thing. I also had concerns that Graham may claim that what he is doing in the name of Aikido originated from the `Hut Dojo` and Noro Sensei. As I posted earlier, Mr Muspratt may have attended a course with Noro Sensei and may have visited the Hut Dojo on a couple of occasions does not qualify him as a student of either.
In my earlier post I should have added that Haydn Foster Sensei only made two or three journeys to Watford on his pop pop moped which he described as a `killer`. I don't remember his saying the dojo was a garage :-)
I also think it is unfair to give Mr Muspratt grief when it is Graham who is making the claims in his name.

To me, the issue has nothing to do with whether or not the thread is liked or not. I think that the larger issue is that a thread runs it's course when the majority of the posts veer off topic and fall-back to irrelevant issues (as it relates to the thread). I too agree with Mark Murray. Then again, his post was not about the topic, but about the poster, which once again begs the question as to why the thread should remain open when it always devolves back to the old broken record.

You are absolutely correct in having the focus squarely on Graham and not on his teacher. We have absolutely no idea as to what Mr. Muspratt would say, in regards to his own history, abilities and in regards to his students. We are simply left with Graham being Graham. This ends up being a continuous pattern of Graham making substantially unsupported claims in regards to a variety of topics. When confronted, he veers away, avoids, changes topics, says people don't understand, says you have to meet him and won't meet certain people, etc..... When this frequently occurring "train wreck" occurs, the thread should simply be closed. I would add that Phi's contributions ALWAYS add an element of humor to the ongoing "Greek tragedy".

Graham, I am really interested in the truth you are presenting here. People here might say you have no qualfications and this and that, but I am willing to be surprised and want to know what you have. Cann you do seminars in Japan? Or one day, if I ever go to England for grad school i would love to meet you and learn from you.

Unless stated otherwise, all wisdom, follies, harshness, malice that may spring up from my writing are attributable only to me.

Graham, I am really interested in the truth you are presenting here. People here might say you have no qualfications and this and that, but I am willing to be surprised and want to know what you have. Cann you do seminars in Japan? Or one day, if I ever go to England for grad school i would love to meet you and learn from you.

Lorel.
It is a shame you think I veer away etc. I am open with my views and others say and do whatever they do with them.

To me, the issue has nothing to do with whether or not the thread is liked or not. I think that the larger issue is that a thread runs it's course when the majority of the posts veer off topic and fall-back to irrelevant issues (as it relates to the thread). I too agree with Mark Murray. Then again, his post was not about the topic, but about the poster, which once again begs the question as to why the thread should remain open when it always devolves back to the old broken record.

Henry, just pulled up Jason McCoy's website to get his email so I could coordinate something. Low and behold there was a picture of you and Jason having a beer. I have had the pleasure of training with Jason and being his friend for the past year. He is leaving for Okinawa this week.